The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-21
Henry Georges Party.


Henry George now has \ chance to see
whether he has amy strength outside of
/ New York city. He Is tho leader of the
ticket which the Unj,od Labor Convention
nominated at Syracuse last Friday, and he
is about the only oue IT the nominees who
has a personal following. The convention
possessed several interesting features.
One of them WAS that it was
made up Of men holding very
different views upon political questions. 1t
is certain that many of the delegates were
not in sympathy with Henry Georges land
theory, and it is probable that some of them
not only did not understand it, but did
rot want to- The United Labor party.
however, was committed to that theory, and
its campaign this fall will have to be fought
upon it.
Another curious feature was the refusal
to have any connection with the Socialists.
The Socialists We're present, and few of
them succeeded in retaining their seats, but
their doctrines were not permitted TO havea
place in the platform. 1t was agreed that
they should not be antagonized, but that did
rot satisfy them, and they are busy now in
New York city trying to get up party of
their own. The hostility TO the Socialists
was rather remarkable in view of the fact
that Henry Georges teachings are only
modified form Of socialism.
The United Labor party will be watched
with deep interest during the fall
campaign in New York The New York
press is certainly paying great deal of at
tnv,4so - 4 H.
or two ago, published leading editorial,
the tone Of which was so friendly to it as to
excite surprise and comment.
The fact is not forgotten that at the mu-
nicipal election in New York
city last year the United Labor
party, with Henry George as its candidate
for Mayor, polled 6s 900 votes. 1t
polled more votes than the Repub-
lican party, and within a few thousand
of as many as the Democratic party. The
question which is being asked now is, Can
the ticket which was nominated at SYRIA
cuSe poll as many votes as Henry George
did for Mayor, and if so, what will
be the effect on the Democratic and Repub-
lcan parties in New York. Henry George
claims that his ticket will get 100, 900 votes,
and that the United Labor party will take
part in the Presidential contest next year.
From this statement the importance of that
party is apparent. If New York is the
pivotal State in the next national contest,
as it was in the last, it becomes a matter of
great interest TO know how many votes the
United Labor party can control in that
State, and from which of the great parties
they will be chiefly drawn.
There is some reason for thinking that the
United Labor party will not poll as many
votes this fall as it did year ago. When
Henry George ran for Mayor there was
great dissatisfaction with regard to MUM
cipal matters in New York city. Thou
sands voted for him, not because they be-
lieved in his land theory, but because they
believed him to be an honest man, and that
he would make a good Mayor. Other thou
sands voted fer him because it was popular
to do so among workingmen. The same
reasons for voting for him a year ago do
not exist now, and it is not Improbable that
there will be falling off, instead of an in
crease, in the Union Labor party vote.
OF course, the Henry George ticket will
get no support from tho farmers. They
believe that land pays more taxes than it
ought to now and they will hardly vote for
a man who advocates the taxing of land to
such an extent as to make the State practi-
cally the owner of it.
The Republicans are rather inclined to
encourage the new party because they pro-
fess to believe that it will draw its strength
chiefly from the Democrats. They hope
that it will enable them to carry New
York. The result may prove, however, that
their calculations We're erroneous The
doctrines of Henry George are SO near akin to
socialism that they appeal. strongly to the
Germans, who are in the main Republicans
The chances are that the United Labor
party will damage the Republican as much
as it will the Democratic party.